The Innocent
by blind-runaway
Summary: Kya has been getting bullied for a long time in school to the point where she can't handle it anymore. She sits down with Aang, but bumi interrupts and talks to her himself. This is also to help those who are getting bullied today. Stay strong and don't give up! I've been debating on whether I should rate this as K or T... I'm just going to go with T to be safe. (Oneshot)


**This was a one shot that I never included in a part of my story (Life In Republic City) But with a little more added to it, including a little bit of modern technology. The title idea came from the song This Is War by 30 Seconds To Mars. Check it out, it's a good one! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATLA OR LOK! **

**The Innocent**

* * *

The Avatar hated the saddened expression that would always be worn across the young waterbender's face each day she left would walk down the steps of her school. Upper elementary was truly tearing the little girl's innocent soul apart. It was the three boys from her art class that were the worst she would face compared to all of the other bullies she would face. And what made things worse was the fact that art was her final class of the day, so each day she would leave school feeling down as ever with the memories of being tormented fresh in her mind.

The expression that was on her face today was the worst. He could just tell by reading her facial expression, that today was far more worse than the others. Something had gone even more terribly wrong, and it just shattered the Avatar's warm heart.

The Avatar, however, greeted her with a warm smile and a short hug so she wouldn't get embarrassed. Though, she found nothing wrong with giving her father the love and affection he deserved, she was worried that the mean bullies would see and tease her about it the following day. Aang completely knew, and he understood. But, at the same time it completely tore him apart.

They made it just in time to catch the ferry to ride over to the island. It was Avatar Aang's home for a little over 16 years, and home to his children for 15 years as well. They stood on the high decks of the boat, holding onto the railing, and watching the beautiful tiny sky blue waves of water that flowed at the surface of Yue Bay.

"Now that we're up here, completely alone, will you tell me how your day went?" Aang asked his daughter cautiously.

There was a moment of silence before the young waterbender spoke. She was thinking of a way to break it down, and to not overwhelm him with the extreme series of horrifying events that took place in Kya's long school day.

"It was awful," She choked. "I never want to go back to that place again."

Aang grabbed her hand, "What happened, sweetie?"

"Those mean boys are still picking on me, and kicking me, and pushing and shoving me," Kya said. "It just never seems to stop. I don't know how to make it end."

"What do you usually do when these rude boys approach you?" He asked, giving her a look of concern.

"I try to stand up for myself," Kya said honestly.

"I'm glad to hear that, at least," Aang said. "Some people ignore it, and think that if they continue to ignore it, it'll eventually stops. But that never happens. It makes them even more vulnerable, and the bully progressively gets worse and worse."

Kya nodded, "There's been multiple assemblies about that. Y'know, people killing themselves because they've gotten so depressed about it and just want to end it for good."

"And I don't want that to happen to you," Aang said, a emotion lump forming in his throat just at the thought.

"I would never do something stupid like that, dad," Kya said with a slight smile. "I don't even want to think about that."

"Me either," Aang said.

"Looks like we're here, finally," Kya said, sighing with relief. "I couldn't wait to come home all day. It was what I looked forward to the most."

And the words stung at the Avatar's heart like a moth wasp.

* * *

The next week, Kya greeted her father with her cheeks drenched in tears. Her day had been worse than the one, a week previous from this one. Kya had a bruise on her cheek, resembling the fact that one the boys from art class punched her across the face while he was holding a thick paintbrush in his hand.

"We need to get you home so your mother can take a look at that, and heal it," Aang said.

And when they'd gotten home, Katara's reaction, for some weird reason, only made Kya feel worse.

"I can't believe they would do this to you and let them get away with it!" Katara shrieked when she began to heal her daughter's cheek.

Kya wanted so badly to just scream, "You really didn't expect this? I've been getting bullied for the past two months and you didn't expect this? And don't even talk about the teachers or the adults letting them get away with it when you haven't tried to contact the counselor yourself!" But she didn't.

Instead she just started to sob violently, "Mom, you can't make me go back there. How obvious does it have to get that I don't belong there! I don't fit in like the other kids do!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, I really am," Katara said. "I don't think we can just pull you out of school in the middle of the year."

"Yes, you can!" Kya yelled, "And I want you to do it right now!"

"I'm kind of busy healing your bruised face," Katara said. "I can't do everything at once. I'll do it when I finish."

Later that night, Kya had logged onto her laptop, to talk to a friend she'd met online. His name was Lee, and he was 17 years old. There was a chat website they'd met on, and she added him to her friend's list and they'd been talking ever since. His name was thenameslee17 and her's was xoxokyaxoxo.

'Lee, I don't know if I can do this anymore.' She sent him.

'Do what?' He asked.

'Live like this. I get bullied every day, and no one does anything about it.'

'Are you saying that you want to end your life?'

'Yeah. I've been considering it lately. I mean, I told my dad that I would never do it, but since things have been getting insanely worse, I've really been considering doing it.' Kya said.

'Don't, Kya! Don't do it!' He sent.

'Idk...' She sent him.

'Think of how it would effect your family, your friends, the world...' He said.

Tears sparked in her blue eyes. She didn't even want to think about it anymore, but she couldn't help it. Her mind just led right to the thoughts.

'Please, do as I say. Log off right now. Shut down the laptop. And go to talk to your parents. Tell them the the truth. Tell them how you've truly been feeling. There's nothing I can do, but to give you advice and convince you not to hurt yourself.' He said.

'Okay, I promise.' She sent him, right before she logged off.

She shut down her laptop, and closed it. She ran down the hall, tears spilling down her cheeks. She knocked violently on her parents' bedroom door, waiting for them to answer.

"Come in!" She heard her mother's voice call.

Kya casually opened the door, and walked in. Aang looked up and immediately saw the tears pouring out of her cerulean blue eyes, and furrowed his brow in sympathy.

"Kya, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Aang asked.

"I'm tired of that school, I'm tired of those mean boys hurting me every day, I'm tired of everything!" She cried.

Aang looked up at Katara with concern, and she only returned the expression.

"Kya, you don't have to go back there if you don't want to," Katara said.

"Good! 'Cause I never want to see any of their faces again!" Kya yelled.

Just then, Bumi walked in.

"Hey mom-" He looked up and saw Kya sitting there, crying, "Hey little sis what's wrong?"

"You tell him, dad," Kya said, turning her back to Bumi.

"Kya has been getting bullied a lot in school, you know that. But it's gotten worse over the past two weeks..." Aang said.

"Aw, that's okay," Bumi said. "Just let me come to your school and kick those boys' butts. First, I'll pretend like I want to be their friends and get to know them, but it'll all be an act, then, I give the a good unexpected kick in the ass-"

"Bumi!" Both Katara and Aang yelled.

"What?" He asked.

"Not helping," Katara said, giving her eldest son a glare.

"It's easy, just saying. All you have to do is fit in, which is a piece of cake," Bumi said with a shrug.

"For you," Kya hissed. "You're a non-bender, like everyone else in our snobby school district. You fit in just fine."

"Mind if I talk to her for a second, dad?" Bumi asked. "I want to give her some advice..."

"Do you want to, Kya?" Aang asked.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Kya said with a shrug.

* * *

"So, what did you want to say to me?" Kya asked.

Bumi made her follow him outside. Somewhere where he knew no one could listen in on them, and they'd be alone. They stood at the beaches on Air Temple Island, as small waves crashed over their bare feet. It was a beautiful and starry night, but neither of them were paying attention. Kya just bended the water in a continuous swirling motion between each of her fingers.

"I know what you're going through," Bumi said, "When I was in upper elementary, I got bullied pretty badly."

"And you never told?" Kya asked, "Anyone?"

"Nope," Bumi said, "because I thought it would make me weak if I went crying to mom. And now, I realize how foolish I was for thinking that way."

Kya nodded, making the teenage non-bender chuckle.

"I was your age, 12, and I was the oldest out of the three of us," Bumi said, "Since I was always a non-bender, I thought of myself as the weak one... I couldn't control any elements or do bend anything. And I was extremely jealous of anyone who could. So, I would always try to be strong, brave, and seem powerful with my swords cause I thought that I had no other true talent."

Kya just waited for him to continue.

"So, in upper elementary, all of the kids were snobby non-benders. Even though they were non-benders too, they made fun of me being a non-bender because I was the Avatar and Master Katara's first born child, and I had no bending powers what so ever. They would always shove me around like I was nothing and say: You're a huge disappointment to the world. Your parents don't love you! Your father thinks you're a huge disappointment because you weren't an airbender! You're a huge disappointment to society! Etc."

"Oh my god, Bumi!" Kya shrieked, "Why didn't you tell anyone."

"I told you, I didn't want anyone in the family to think I was weak," Bumi said, "And being the gullible little twelve year old boy I was, I believed them. And every night, I would silently cry myself to sleep."

"That's terrible!" Kya said, hugging her older brother. "It really does suck living in the shadows of mom and dad, the two most powerful benders in the entire world."

"It really does," Bumi said. "But, my whole point is, don't listen to anything those mean kids say. Their whole idea is to make you feel upset, unwanted, and uncomfortable."

"I don't listen to them," Kya said, "And their words aren't half as bad as their actions."

"I know," Bumi said, "And it's good that you're not going back there. If I ever see them on the streets, I'll make sure I give them a good beating!"

"Bumi..." Kya said, rolling her eyes at him.

"I'm just looking out for my baby sister," Bumi said, hugging her a little too tightly. "I know I don't show it much, but I do love you. And I'm glad you're my sister."

"Aw Bumi, that was so cheesy!" Kya said, returning the hug, "But, I love you too big bro."

"let's get inside, It's late," Bumi said.

"Why?" Kya asked, "I don't have school tomorrow." She grinned at him.

He rolled his eyes at her, "But you need a stressless sleep."

"Stressless?" Kya asked.

"I made the word up, you know exactly what I mean," Bumi said, "And we're both tired, let's go."

"I know, and if I didn't come back inside, mom and dad would be freaking out," Kya said, walking towards the back door of the massive house.

"We don't want that," Bumi said with a laugh.

"No, we really don't," Kya said with a smile.

For a moment, there was just silence as they slowly walked back to the house. Then, Kya broke the silence.

"Bumi, I'm glad you talked to me tonight," Kya said, "It really helped me, and how I look at things from now on."

"And _that_ was cheesy!" Bumi teased, "But you're welcome. Any time."

And for the first time in what felt like weeks, Kya got a full night of sleep.

* * *

**The end!**

**I know that was cheesy, and what not. But this is the cloud babies, and happily ever afters are expected for them. I don't want to torture the characters too much ;)**


End file.
